The Stag at the Zoo
by PeachyKeen13
Summary: AU. Sirius raised Harry, and decided to take the five year old to the zoo. What Sirius didn't expect was for Harry to spot a certain stag...a stag that Sirius never thought he'd see again. Comebacktolife!James&Lily :D
1. Chapter 1

**The Stag at the Zoo**

**Disclaimer: I don't own HP (sadly.)**

**A/N: This IS an AU fic...one where Sirius never went to Azkaban and he raised Harry:) I dunno, it kind of feels bitter-sweet to me, but I'll let you make that decision:) If you're reading, please review and make my day:) Oh, and if any of you are reading my story "Prongs and Lily: Back for Good" I just revised the first four chapters...some stuff is different & some reactions are bigger, so if you wanna take a look at that, feel free:) I also have a bunch of Harry Potter one-shots & stories that are both AU and Canon so if you like my writng, please click onto them! Okay, enough of my advertising - enjoy!**

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><p>"Uncle Padfoot, come on! Come <em>on<em>!"

Five year old Harry Potter was quite literally _dragging_ his godfather through the zoo. He was a very impatient little boy, who reminded Sirius Black of his best friend every time he looked at him. Harry looked exactly like his father, right down to the untidy hair and round, wire-framed glasses. The only differences were the green eyes (they belonged to his mother, Lily,) and the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forhead.

"I'm _coming_, kiddo, _slow down_!" Sirius laughed.

"But I want to see the lions!" Harry said, smiling.

"You'll see the lions, I _promise_." Sirius confirmed. "But don't you want some lunch first?"

Harry shook his head furitively, making his untidy hair look even messier. "Nope! _Lions_!"

Sirius sighed dramatically, and laughed. "You'd think I was depriving you of fun, the way you seem astonished by this place." he muttered.

"But I've never _been_ here before." Harry huffed. "And I've never _seen_ a real life lion!"

"Okay, okay." Sirius allowed. "Lions _then_ lunch?"

"O_kay_." Harry sighed, and that made Sirius laugh; he sounded _just like_ James when he did that.

Well, Sirius and Harry got to the lions soon enough. Harry gawked at the large cats for at least fifteen minutes before Sirius forced him to leave. Harry didn't complain _that_ much; he really was hungry. But what else would you expect? Potter boys had a constant appetite.

As they were walking back to the main building for lunch, Harry pointed to something. Sirius and Harry had been traveling on the deserted sidewalk, right next to the edge of a small forest that was mostly there for show. Harry jabbed his finger at one of the few trees and said, "Uncle Padfoot, something's in there!"

"Well, yeah." Sirius said. "Trees. That _is_ a forest, Prongslet."

"No, no!" Harry corrected. "There's an _animal_."

"What? Where?" Sirius asked curiously, trying to see where his godson was pointing.

Harry whacked Sirius on the nose. "No, not _there_." he said. "_There."_

In the midst of the trees, there stood a stag. Now, to any Muggles who were looking at this large, glossy brown animal, they would have told you that it was no different than any other stag they'd ever seen. That his too-intelligent gaze was simply a trick of the mind. That it was simply an animal loose from his cage. But to Sirius Black, the animal was so much more than that.

"Prongs." Sirius whispered. There was no denying it; Sirius Black would know that stag _anywhere_...the number of times he'd seen it was enough to recognize him if he ever saw him again. This stag was an Animagus, a wizard by the name of James Potter.

Why was it so unlikely that Sirius Black was seeing this animal? Well, because James Potter was dead.

"Prongs?" Harry repeated curiously. "But you said Prongs was gone."

Harry had been brought up by his godfather, Sirius Black, after his parents had been killed. Sirius had been best mates with Hary's father - James - and had told Harry many stories about him.

"He is." Sirius said.

"Then how is he _here_?"

"I...don't know."

Meanwhile, the stag was just standing there, staring at Harry and Sirius. It was true; his gaze was too smart for a wild animal's. Sirius was trying to act as a Muggle would, by thinking: 'He's no different than any other deer. That smart gaze is just a trick of the mind - James is gone'.

Before he could get too hopeful about the animal, Sirius took Harry by the hand, and led him back to the main building, the stag never moving from his spot.

Along the way, Sirius and Harry ran into one of the Muggles who worked at the zoo. Sirius took this moment to tell him, "Just thought you'd like to know that one of your deer escaped his pen."

The Muggle looked at Sirius curiously before saying, "We don't _have_ a deer pen here, sir."

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><p><strong>Was it okay? I know it was short...I don't know, I've just had the idea buzzing around in my head for a while...it's just meant to be a cute little fluffy one-shot;) Review?<strong>

**~PeachyKeen13**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Stag at the Zoo**

**Disclaimer: I don't own HP (sadly.)**

**A/N: Okay, because of positive feedback, I'm going to try to make this a story:) I did the SAME exact thing with Ricki Sparrow - promised a one-shot, now working on the sequel of the 32 chapter story:) So I hope you like where this is going! Please review!**

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><p>"Uncle Padfoot," Harry began later that day. He and Sirius had just come back to Sirius's home from the zoo twenty minutes before, and Harry had been unusually quiet.<p>

"Yes, Prongslet?" Sirius chuckled, plopping down on his couch.

"Was that deer at the zoo really Prongs?" Harry asked, taking a seat on the couch by his godfather.

Sirius thought for a good long time before answering Harry. "I...don't know." Sirius admitted. "It certainly _looked _like him...but it _couldn't _have been..."

"It coulda been magic." Harry said thoughtfully.

Sirius grinned. "It could have been." Sirius agreed, but he knew in his heart that what he was saying was a lie. No magic can bring the dead back to life.

"Wanna go play at the field?" Harry asked happily, almost jumping up and down.

'The Field' was the place where Sirius attempted to teach Harry to ride a broomstick. They went there by Portkey often. It was a light, grassy field that was out of view of Muggles. It was absolutely perfect for flying, even if Harry wasn't yet old enough to actually make progress.

"Sure, sport." Sirius said happily. He grabbed Harry's hand, and led him into the kitchen. They both grabbed onto Sirius's blender (it was the Portkey - it wasn't like Sirius used it anyway) and were instantly transported to Harry's favorite play place.

Sirius grabbed the broomsticks from the small shed they kept on the field, and gave the smaller training one to Harry. They went over their rules (Don't fly out of sight, don't fly higher than five feet, and don't let go of the broom) for a few minutes, before Harry was impatiently saying,

"_Okay, _I know, I know! Let's go!"

Sirius laughed again, and mounted his own broom. He helped Harry onto his, and they were off.

They flew for a good hour before Harry began to go lower and slower. Sirius could tell that his young godson was beginning to get tired. He was about to dismount his own broom, before Harry yelled something that kept him in the air.

"Uncle Padfoot, Unlce Padfoot!" Harry yelped up. Sirius's first reaction was alarm - was Harry hurt? Had he seen something dangerous?

"What is it?" Sirius asked from his broom.

"It's the deer, it's the deer from the zoo!" Harry shouted happily.

"What?" Sirius asked. "Where? Where is it, Prongslet?"

"Over there, over there!" Harry shouted, jabbing a finger to the south. There - standing in plain view - was the very same stag that Sirius and Harry had seen just a few hours before.

"Stay where you are, Harry!" Sirius shouted down. "I'm going to go in for a closer look, okay?"

"Okay!" Harry said, jumping into the air and landing on his butt on the ground. Sirius laughed, and pushed his broom forward. The stag seemed to sense that Sirius was after him, as he began to run. But Sirius on his broom was faster than the deer on his feet, and Sirius quickly caught up with him.

It was Prongs, of that Sirius was _sure. _He was that same, glossy brown that he'd always been, with the same black marks around his eyes that had once reminded Sirius of James's wire-rimmed glasses. Sirius attempted to yell something out to the stag, but the pair was going much to fast for anything to be heard.

Sirius attempted to yell, "Stop!" several times, but his voice was muted by the wind. The stag - from his position on Sirius's right - began to slow. Sirius began to slow, too. Eventually, both the wizard and the stag stopped completely.

Sirius and the stag stared at each other for a minute before Sirius asked, "Prongs? Is that you?"

Sirius didn't expect an answer, and none came. No matter the magic, stags couldn't _speak. _However - if a stag was a wizard - then he could understand Sirius just fine.

The stag looked at Sirius with a knowing expression, and didn't break eye contact with him. It was almost funny, the way Sirius was analyzing the creature before him; he seemed to be checking every single hair for an ounce of familiarity. But at that point, Sirius no longer needed proving - this stag was James.

"James, is it you?" Sirius asked again. He sounded almost pleading - if it was James, he _had _to know - if it was James, then not only would he and Remus have their best friend back, but Harry could have a father.

The stag stared at Sirius oddly - it had confusion in its eyes. Sirius did not look away from that stag's hazel eyes - they were James's. Sirius carefully and quickly took his wand from his robes and said a simple revealing charm under his breath. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, the stag began to grow...

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><p><strong>I know that it was short, but I kind of wanted the first chapter to end on a cliffhanger to analyze reactions. What do you think? Could this make a good story? I'm bringing Lily back, too, just saying(: The other chapters will be longer, I ASSURE you - probably just as long as my chapters for "James Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (if you haven't read that fic, it's entering AU now - if you like thatthis kind of thing, give it a look!) but anyway, let me know your thoughts! Review!**

**~PeachyKeen13**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Stag At The Zoo**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters :(**

**A/N: I cannot apologize enough for the wait! But I just got ran over by a plot bunny, so here's the update:) And I got a new laptop! YAY! So expect more frequent updates:) And thanks for the support, guys! 28 reviews for _two _chapters, that's insane! You lot are the best:)**

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><p>Then, the stag began to grow...<p>

It seemed almost surreal to Sirius. It was a very slow transformation, unlike the other times James had changed from stag to man. But there was no denying it; James Potter was standing in front of Sirius, and he was - somehow - alive.

When the transformation was complete, nothing was said for a moment. James just stood there, and held a hand to his head. He looked around for a moment, disoriented. Sirius knew what the problem was before James even spoke; he needed his glasses. Quietly, Sirius muttered a summoning charm, and handed the spectacles to his best friend. James took them without a word. The world suddenly came into focus, and he stared at his surroundings and at Sirius.

"W-What happened?" he murmured. "Where am I?"

"James?" Sirius whispered. "Prongs, is it...really you?"

"What?" James asked. "Sirius...what happened?"

_Well, _Sirius thought. _He at least knows who I am. That's a start._

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked. "James what...how...where have you been? How are you here?"

Sirius was sure that the big blow would be coming in a minute, but for the moment, he was numb. It just wasn't possible - Sirius had seen James with his own eyes. James had been dead, deader than dead, and no spell - no matter how powerful - could reawaken the dead.

_So how is James here? _a voice in Sirius's head asked.

That was just the problem - that _couldn't _be James.

"I...don't know." James admitted. "But...no!" James yelled. He looked quickly to Sirius and shouted, "Peter, he betrayed us! Voldemort, he must have sent me here to keep me from protecting Lily and Harry! Sirius we have to go back, they could be hurt, he could have-"

"James!" Sirius said, putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder. He almost expected it to go right through James, but it didn't. The man in front of Sirius was as solid as one could be. "Relax, Harry's here, he's fine, he's-"

"He's here? How is he here?" James asked frantically. "What about Lily?"

Sirius was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to tell James what had happened? How was he supposed to go about fixing this? How could he know if this was even _James?_

"James, maybe we should go see Moony or Dumbledore or _someone..._I really don't know how to explain this." Sirius finally admitted.

"Padfoot, it's not that hard, please, just tell me what's going on!" insisted James. "I have to know!"

"I have to know, too!" said Sirius. "How can I even know if you're really _James? _You could be a _Death Eater _for all I know!"

"_Me?_" asked James incredulously. "A _Death Eater? _Padfoot, are you _mad? _Please! I thought we agreed third year that if _anyone _at Hogwarts was going to turn to the Dark Side, it was going to be Snape!"

Sirius wasn't sure what to make of that; he and James had said that during a private conversation, just the two of them. No one else would know that.

_And his Animagus! _Sirius remembered suddenly. _The stag! And no one can replicate that! This is really James!_

"Prongs!" Sirius shouted happily, tackling James in the biggest hug of the latter's adult life. Despite his worries, James found it in him to chuckle slightly at his friend's behavior.

"Whoa, missed you too, Pads. But you're acting like you haven't seen me in years!" said James.

Sirius sobered a bit, and stared James in the eyes. "I haven't." admitted he.

"What do you mean, you haven't? I saw just last week." said James, confused.

"Yes. _Four years ago._" explained Sirius sadly.

"F-Four years?" sputtered James incoherently. "But that's impossible! It hasn't been _four years, _it's only-"

"James, I don't think you understand." said Sirius. "You've been...well, _dead _for four years."

"Dead? But I'm not dead! I'm alive, I'm right here! You can see and hear me, can't you? Then how am I _dead_?" asked James.

"I saw you. At Godric's Hollow, and you were..._dead. _So was Lily, but Harry...he was okay, so I brought him with me. I've been taking care of him ever since that night. Prongs, how are you _here? _What's the last thing you remember?" asked Sirius suddenly. Now that he was _sure _it was James, he needed an explanation.

"I was in the living room with Lily and Harry," James said in a monotone voice. It was as though he was fading out with the memory. "Lily was reading, of course, and I was showing Harry my Patronus. He kept trying to get up and chase it," there, James let out a little laugh at his son's silly behavior. "But then the lights started flickering, and it got cold, like a Dementor was near. And Lily looked up at me, and we seemed to realize what was happening at the same time. I told her to take Harry and to get out. She barely started up the steps when Voldemort blew open the front door. I tried to hold him off to give Lily time to get away, but he laughed at me. And then there was a flash of green light and then...I was here."

"But...but you were in your Animagus," began Sirius. "And you followed me and Harry in the zoo, and then here...don't you remember any of that?"

"No." said James, confused. "I haven't seen Harry since...since Lily took him upstairs to try and escape the house."

"I...don't know." admitted Sirius. "Maybe Moony will have a theory. But James...mate, you've no clue how good it is to see you!" Sirius grinned, and enveloped James in another brotherly hug. "Wait-" Sirius said suddenly. "Do you s'pose that if _you're _back...that maybe Lily's back, too?"

"Lily." moaned James. "Merlin, I hope so Sirius. I can't live without her. I _can't._"

"But Harry!" exclaimed Sirius, in an effort to get James's mind off of more unpleasant things. "He'll be so thrilled to see you!"

"Harry..." smiled James. "Merlin he'd be..._five _now. Harry's _five."_

"Yeah," said Sirius. Seeing the look on James's face, he quickly added, "But it's a good thing that you came back _now. _At least Harry's still little; you didn't miss _all _of his firsts - he still can't successfully fly."

James allowed a sad smile, but inside, he was still sad. He missed Harry's first sentence. He missed Harry's first _real _steps...he probably even missed his son's first bout of accidental magic. _But Sirius is right, _James thought, while trying to collect himself. _At least Harry's still young...you didn't miss everything._

"Where _is _Harry, Sirius? You said he was here?" James asked, trying to take his mind off of the fact that he might never see his Lilyflower again.

Sirius smiled. "He's around. I told him to stay put back there," Sirius pointed way behind them. "He was actually the one that saw you at all. I chased after you, and now you're here! Come on then, let's go see Harry!"

James and Sirius set off the way they came, completely forgetting that broomsticks or magic could get them there much faster. They were both in a sort of shock, and were just focused on getting to Harry. They barely conversed along the way, though James _did _ask a few questions concerning everything that he missed. Sirius told James how Remus had stopped him from going after Peter. He explained that Ministry officials caught up with the little _rat _after Sirius explained all that happened, and that Peter was rotting in a cell in Azkaban at the moment. James flinched a little at that part; to James, Peter's betrayal was still fresh and inconceivable. Sirius had had years to get used to the idea that Wormtail wasn't a Marauder anymore. Sirius also told James about Harry's childhood so far, and James seemed generally pleased with Sirius's upbringing of Harry. But - despite the many descriptions of his son that Sirius gave - James wanted to see Harry for himself.

As they neared the spot that Harry was at, they froze. There - nudging Harry with her nose - was a doe. And it was a _gorgeous _doe; it had glossy brown fur and it was graceful even when it wasn't moving. But those things aren't what caught James's and Sirius's attentions; it was the doe's eyes. A beautiful shade of green, a shade of green that matched the eyes of the little boy that she was near. After a minute, the two wizards unfroze, and ran to Harry. Sirius scooped Harry up, and turned him upside down, causing him to laugh and laugh. James watched with happiness at his little boy. It was about then that Harry noticed James, and he stopped laughing. Sirius put the five year old down, and kneeled down. He whispered into Harry's ear,

"Harry, this is your dad. James."

"James?" Harry asked quietly. "But you told me that James is gone."

"But he's back now, Harry." Sirius smiled. "And he really missed you."

"You mean I have a dad?" whispered Harry excitedly, a grin lighting up all of his features.

Sirius smiled, "Yep, you do kiddo!" he whispered happily.

Harry looked away from Sirius, and up at James. Harry didn't need convincing; somewhere in his heart, he knew that this was his dad. He looked just like him, and Harry had vague memories of him. He'd seen every single picture of James that Sirius owned, and he had wished for him for four years. Harry smiled, and ran to his father. He enveloped James in a giant hug, and whispered, "Daddy!"

James was frozen for a moment, but only a moment. He wrapped his arms around his son, and held him close. In all the confusion and shock, it was comforting to know that he could depend on his son.

The doe that had been seen with Harry earlier had not vanished; she had simply stepped aside. After James finally released Harry, the doe trotted back. Harry giggled, and patted the creature atop her head. James took a closer look at the doe, and whispered, "Lily..."

"Lily?" asked Sirius. "But Lils wasn't an Animagus..."

"I know." said James. "But _this..._this is Lily. It looks just like her Patronus and-and look at her eyes! It's my Flower!"

"But how is that possible?" whispered Sirius.

"Doesn't matter!" insisted James. "Sirius, please...just change her back!"

Hoping with all his might that he didn't let his best mate down, Sirius retrieved his wand again. He pointed it at the doe, and said the incantation. Just as with James, the transformation was quite slow; James was growing impatient. He _had _to know that his Lily was safe; Harry _needed _his mother.

Finally, all of James's worries were put to rest as Lily stood up. Her large, green, almond shaped eyes looked nervously around, and finally settled on James. She took note that she didn't have the faintest clue as to where she was, and that Sirius looked a bit older than the last time she saw him. She also saw Harry; she knew that the little boy hugging her husband's leg _had _to be Harry. She'd know her little boy _anywhere. _But did he look like he was four or five? And why did she ache all over?

"James?" asked Lily nervously. James breathed in a sigh of relief; that was his wife...that was his Lils. "What happened? Where are we?"

"Flower," breathed James. "I don't know...but this going to be quite an interesting day, I think."

And Sirius laughed.

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><p><strong>What did you thiiink? I was trying to get the emotions right...I hope I did! I'll try to update again soon:) If you want to know where this story is going, I have a plan now! It will basically depict Harry's life with James, Lily, Sirius, and even Remus:) I HOPE to go through his whole life, maybe even his Hogwarts years:) Yes, this'll be a LONG story:D I hope to make the chapters either this long, or maybe even longer:) So...let me know what you thought! And again, THANK you for all of the support!<strong>

**~PeachyKeen13**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Stag At The Zoo**

**Disclaimer: I - of course - do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters :( I mean, c'mon, if I did, then James and Lily would have never died! In fact, Voldemort would probably have NEVER existed - and I wouldn't make poor Neville so bad at everything:/**

**A/N: Thank you for all of the feedback and support! Here's the next chapter - Lily/Harry Mother/Son Moments lovers, this one's for you! Oh, and I know that a few readers told me in a review that they were kind of confused - this chapter won't really help you much, but the next chapter might:D If you're still confused after a bit to the point where the story is no longer enjoyable, please PM me and I will un-confuse you as best I can lol :D**

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><p>"Is that," breathed Lily. "<em>Harry?<em>"

Harry peaked out from behind his father's leg to risk a small smile at the woman. He whispered, "You were that deer, weren't you?"

Lily smiled, and approached Harry cautiously. James and Sirius backed away for a moment to give mother and son some privacy. While both loved Harry more than you could imagine, _they _weren't his mother. And Harry's mother woulod always have a very special place in his heart, one that neither James nor Sirius could ever fill.

"Are you Lily?" asked Harry in awe. Lily was still approaching him carefully, but froze when he said her name.

"Go on, Lils." encouraged Sirius. "Harry's a really special kid."

Lily nodeded, and smiled her thanks at her husband's best friend. He was keeping his head considerably cool, considering the fact that he'd practically just seen the dead return to life.

"Yes," responded Lily to Harry's question. "Yes, I'm Lily. And are you Harry?"

Harry smiled, and giggled like little boys do. "Yeah!" he laughed. "I'm Harry!"

"Harry," said Lily. "Harry, I'm your Mum."

"My Mum?" questioned Harry curiously. He took a step closer to Lily, and reached out to touch her hand. Lily took her son's hand in her own, and grasped it firmly, vowing never to let it go again.

"That's right, sweetheart." whispered Lily in awe, letting a tear slide from her green eyes. Harry saw the tear, and looked at it questioningly. He took his free hand, and wiped it away.

"Don't cry, Mummy." he soothed. "Don't be sad."

Though Lily was beginning to cry more, her smile reassured her son. "I'm not sad, Harry. I'm very, very _happy._"

"Then why are you crying?" asked Harry. He hadn't known his mother long, but he knew that he never wanted to see her cry. There was something _about _her - something familiar and comforting that made Harry feel better, even when there wasn't really anything _wrong _with him.

"Because I missed you _so _much, sweetheart." murmured Lily. She bent down to her knees, and pulled Harry into the biggest and most loving hug of his entire life. Lily squeezed her son tightly, and kissed his forehead. Behind the small reunion, James and Sirius were smiling fondly.

"You've no idea how great it is to see you again, Prongsie." smiled Sirius, glancing over at James.

James smiled, too. "Same to you, mate. But what _I _want to know is how in Merlin's name we got back if we were...well, y'know..._dead." _

"We should see Moony," murmured Sirius. "He always _did _have an answer for everything."

James laughed, and the grin lit up his entire face, making him look fifteen again. "Five galleons he faints."

"Seven galleons he screams and _then _faints." laughed Sirius.

James held out his hand. "You're on."

Sirius shook it, and glanced back at Lily and Harry. "Hey, Prongslet?" asked Sirius.

Harry looked up at his godfather, and asked, "Yeah, Uncle Padfoot?"

"Feel like paying a visit to Uncle Moony?" questioned Sirius, raising an eyebrow. Harry had _never _said no to going _anywhere - _except maybe the bathtub.

But Harry _didn't _say yes right away - in fact, he looked almost fearful. "Can Mum and Dad come, too?" he asked softly.

Sirius chuckled, and rolled his eyes. "No, we're just going to _leave _them here - of course they're coming, Bambi! Uncle Moony's missed them just as much as I have."

"What is _with_ the nicknames you've given my son?" asked James quizzically.

Sirius didn't respond to James's question; he merely grinned.

"We can Side-Along Apparate." suggested Lily, standing up and wiping the tears from her eyes. She offered Harry her hand.

"Alright. Let's go, then!"

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><p>"Alright," said Sirius. "Harry and I will go in first. I'll give you a signal to make yourselves known in probably about five minutes."<p>

Sirius, James, Lily, and Harry were standing outside of the home of Remus Lupin. If it _could _be called a home; it was rather small, and shabby. It was just a small shack that actually wasn't too far from Hogwarts. It was the only habitable place for miles, and it was in the middle of a large clearing. If you thought about it, the location _only _made sense; Remus Lupin was a werewolf, and he needed a safe place to transform at the time of every full moon.

James and Lily walked around to the side of the shack, and sat down on a rock that was concealed by many bushes. They heard Sirius and Harry enter the house, and that's when they got very impatient. They had only _just _been reunited with their son; they didn't want to be apart from him at all, even if it _was _only for five minutes.

"We haven't really gotten to talk, James." Lily said, curling into her husband's side. She rested her head on James's soft shoulder, and suddenly, she felt very tired.

"I know," murmured James, rubbing a soothing hand on the small of Lily's back. "I _wish_ I could remember what's been going on the last four years, but the last thing I recall was dueling Voldemort in our living room."

"Same here," muttered Lily, chuckling briefly without humor. "This is all happening so quickly I-I can't keep up."

"You'd think we wouldn't miss Harry so much, seeing as - at least to _us_ - we only just saw him, but I feel like we've been seperated for years." said James.

"We _have _been seperated for years, love." replied Lily. "I know what you mean, though. Seeing him made me realize how long it's been."

"_Four years._" said James incredulously, sighing deeply. "But Sirius had a good point earlier-"

"That's rare." laughed Lily. James shoved her playfully.

"_Anyway," _he said pointedly. "Sirius had a good point earlier - he said that at least we came back while Harry's still young. We still have a few firsts that we haven't missed; he still can't successfully fly a broom. I mean, we _could've_ returned when he was all grown up with kids of his own."

"That's true," amended Lily. After a moment of thought, the young red-headed witch added, "Hey, _you're _the Marauder here - see if you can hear what they're saying through the window."

Instead of jumping up to do as his wife asked, James merely chuckled.

"What?" asked Lily playfaully. "What's so funny?"

"_You _want me to marauder?" smiled James. "_You, _Miss Head-Girl-Who-Is-Completely-Against-Anything-That-Has-To-Do-With-Sneaking-Or-Spying?"

"This is different," explained Lily. "This is about Harry. And hey! I'm not Head Girl anymore!"

"Okay, okay." said James, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'll try and hear what they're saying then."

"Yes, why don't you?"

"Okay, um...Sirius just said something stupid that made Harry laugh," began James.

"Oh, _that's _a shock!" laughed Lily.

"And...Moony just gave Harry some chocolate. How _entirely _predictable."

"Just keep listening!" encouraged Lily, eager to hear more.

"Alright, alright! Um...HA! Harry just whapped Padfoot upside the head! Ten points to Team Potter!"

"_James!"_

"Right, sorry love. Er, it looks as though Sirius just said something real heavy to Moony...oops, Moony's sitting down...wonder what he said that's so bloody awful."

"Oh, I don't know." replied Lily sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Could be anything, really. Harry fell and scabbed his knee this morning...I got a new flea shampoo..._you're two best friends were found this morning completely and utterly alive..."_

"No need to be so sarcastic." huffed James, but he was laughing. "Alright, I take it this is our signal. Shall we, my dear?"

James offered Lily his hand, and the latter took it with ease and happiness. Together, James and Lily walked back around to the front of Remus's house, and opened the front door. Harry - upon hearing his parents enter the room - ran from Sirius and jumped eagerly into his father's arms. Both of Harry's parents laughed at their son's happiness and readiness to accept them.

"Hiya, Moony!" shouted James joviantly.

"Please, ignore my husband, Remus. What he _means _to say is that he knows this must come as quite a shock to you, and we'd like to help make it easier in any way we possibly can." said Lily, looking pointedly at James as she spoke the words.

"No." disagreed James lately. "If I meant that, I would have said it, love. I _meant _to say, 'Hiya, Moony!'"

Without another word, Remus fainted into the chair, and James grinned at Sirius.

"You owe me seven galleons, Padfoot!"

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><p><strong>What did you think? Meet expectations? The explanation will probably be in about three chapters, but Remus's theory will be in the next update:) Hope you enjoyed and please review! I didn't think this story would be so successful, but I'm very happy with the feedback, so please keep it up!:D<strong>

**~PeachyKeen13**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Stag At The Zoo**

**Disclaimer: I - of course - do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters :( I mean, c'mon, if I did, then James and Lily would have never died! In fact, Voldemort would probably have NEVER existed - and I wouldn't make poor Neville so bad at everything:/**

**A/N: Hello my lovlies! I cannot thank you ENOUGH for all of the fabulous reviews! I mean, over FIFTY and that's ONLY for 4 chapters! You guys are the BEST:D Oh, and just saying, I'll be updating my other fics tomorrow, I've just been SO excited to get this chapter out! Moony lovers, this one's for you!**

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><p>"Why won't he wake up?" asked James for the fifth times. "Merlin, he sleeps like the <em>dead!<em>"

"James!" scolded Lily -_ again. _"How would you be feeling, had you been in his position? Huh? If, say, _Sirius _was dead, and he had been for four years. And then he just comes knocking on your door saying, 'Hiya, Prongs!' Wouldn't you be the _least _bit surprised?"

"How'd I die?" asked Sirius, who was busy lounging on Remus's ratty old sofa. He had Harry sitting next to him, and the Prongslet looked almost bored.

"That's not the point Sirius," sighed Lily, coming over to sit next to her son. "The _point _is that you've given him quite a shock, and he needs _time._"

Lily simply could not understand James _or _Sirius; didn't they understand how Remus must be feeling? Couldn't they give him a break? If it was up to her, she would have the two leave the room while _she _explained the situation to Remus.

"Well, I've given him all the _time _I'm willing to." said Sirius. He pulled his wand from his robes, and sat Harry on Lily's lap. He then walked over to the chair - where Remus was still quite passed out - and pointed the wand at his friend. "_Enervate!" _he shouted. Instantly, a shower of water flew from the wand, and landed directly on Remus.

The werewolf sat up instantly, gasping in his shock. He seemed not to notice anything else but the fact that Sirius was standing in front of him with his wand out, laughing. Remus jumped from the chair, and pulled out his own wand. _"Scougrify!"_ he cast.

Immedietly, soap bubbles _poured _from Sirius's mouth. He glared up at Moony, and muttered the counter-curse under his breath. He spit the remaining suds from his mouth, and said, "You'll pay for that one, Moony!"

Lily watched the entire display with both affection and disgust. She whispered, "I'm going to go control your unlces," to Harry, and picked him up off her lap. She sat him on the couch where she had been, and looked between both Sirius and Remus. Since she and James were lacking their wands, she used her wandless magic to cast _"Patrificus Totalis!_" on Sirius. The young wizard went stiff as a board, and fell to the ground.

"Now then," said Lily. "_If _you are done fooling around, I think that we should have a talk with Remus. James?"

"Merlin," breathed Remus. "I'm still dreaming."

"No, no, no!" assured Lily. "You're not dreaming Remus, I promise, but...why don't you sit down?"

Remus nodded numbly, and sat down on the chair he had originally collapsed in. Harry jumped off of the couch, and ran eagerly to Remus. "Surprise, Uncle Moony!" he shouted happily.

"You see them too, Harry?" asked Remus carefully. "And you know who these people are?"

"Of course!" said Harry happily, grinning widely towards his parents. He pointed first to Lily and said, "That's Mummy!" Next, he pointed to James and said, "And that's Daddy!"

"But that's not possible," muttered Remus, scratching his head. "Th-there's no spell that can reawaken the dead! They must be Death Eaters!"

"Oh, _relax, _would you, Moony?" laughed James. "I'm sure if you revived Sirius, he'd be _more _than happy to tell you that we are who we say we are."

"I'm sure we can convince him _ourselves, _James." Lily said, beckoning her son to come to her. Harry did, and wrapped his arms around Lily's waist. "I'm not too _pleased _with your furry friend at the moment - _why _must he be so immature?"

"Oh, love-" laughed James. "He wouldn't be _Sirius _if he wasn't."

"I'm dead!" shouted Remus suddenly. "Oh no, I'm _dead!" _

"Moony, once again - _relax!_" said James. "You're _not _dead, you're _not _dreaming, and you're _not _hallucinating. Lily and I are really here and we're really alive. Actually, if truth be told, _we_ need an explanation. We assumed you'd be the best choice for the job."

"You assumed that _I _would know how y-you're _back from the dead?_" asked Remus skeptically. He tried to maintain his composure, but on the inside, he was shaking.

"Well, I certainly didn't think _Snivellus _could." laughed James. Then, he seemed to once again realize that Sirius wasn't laughing with him, and looked down at his feet at his still petrified best mate. "Pity you had to use your powers for evil instead of good; your petrifying charm is simply _stunning._"

Harry snorted a laugh, and that brought James's attention back to his son. James smiled, and lifted Harry into his arms. "Son, I have _missed _you."

"I've missed you too, Daddy." said Harry. "And so has Uncle Moony and so has Uncle Padfoot and so has Auntie Hest."

"_Auntie _Hest?" asked James, looking to Moony. "As is Hestia _Jones_? Alright, which one of you _dogs _has been with the little Miss?"

"Before we _even _get into that, I think we should f-focus on the issue at hand." said Remus shakily.

"What issue?" asked James stupidly. "Oh! Right, right...okay, so there's not too much that I remember. _Both _Lily and me remember..._dying, _but the next thing we knew, we were awake and with Sirius and Harry in a field somewhere. That's really all there is to tell."

"No, there's something else," remembered Lily. "When we returned, we were both in the form of deer."

"I was Prongs," said James. "But _Lily _wasn't an Animagus, so I don't know why she appeared as a doe."

"I really don't know," admitted Remus, trying to even his breathing. "The only thing I can think of would be that the two of you came back in the form of your Patronuses, but I've never even _heard _of that happening, so I wouldn't be able to verify that. But...but it's bloody good to see you two!" Remus was then smiling, and reaching to embrace his two closest friends, now truly believing that they were back in his life.

"Oh, it's good to see you too, Remus!" said Lily happily.

"Good to see ya too, Moony." laughed James.

"But I still wish we knew how we were back." said Lily thoughtfully. "Remus gave us something to ponder, though, but we need to know for sure...we need to speak to someone. Someone who can help us get our lives back."

"Dumbledore." said James at once.

"That was my first thought," admitted Lily. "But we can't Apparate into Hogwarts and I wouldn't know where else to look for him."

"Hogsmeade," recommended James, but Lily sighed again.

"That would cause an uproar," admitted Lily. "_Anywhere _we go before seeing Dumbledore or _someone _else would cause an uproar."

"Then where do you suggest we go, love?" asked James.

"I have an idea," Lily said after a while. "But it's a last resort. _Anywhere _you can think of, James, please tell me."

"I'm at dead end, love." admitted James. He turned to his son. "Can _you _think of anywhere we should go, Harry?"

Harry thought for a moment before saying, "We could see Auntie Hest!"

"Hestia is on a mission, Harry." said Remus, looking to his 'nephew'. "Remember, Padfoot told you yesterday?"

"Oh, yeah." mumbled Harry. He looked back to his parents. "Sorry."

"Well Lils, that leaves your little idea." said James. "And as long as it isn't your wretched sister, I'm quite sure I'd be okay with wherever you were thinking."

"It's not Petunia," said Lily. "But I don't think you'll like where we're going; in fact, you may want me to go alone."

"No," disagreed James. "I'm not letting you go _anywhere _alone. We're in this together, as a family."

"Really, James. I'd only be a little while. And I'd be too..._afraid _to take you," _For fear that you'll hex the person I'm thinking of upon arrival._

"Why would you be afraid to take me?" laughed James. "Afraid I'd hex whoever it is before we even said hello?"

"You know me like a book," said Lily. "Alright, fine. We'll _all _go. But _I'm_ going in first. To prepare them, you know?"

"Alright, deal." said James happily. He was very relieved; it wasn't the best plan in the world, but it didn't separate them at least.

Remus, Harry, James, and Lily joined hands. Lily closed her eyes in concentration, and together, the four Apparated.

Leaving Sirius all but forgotten on the floor.

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><p><strong>I know, I know, it was mostly dialogue; please don't be mad! This was more of a filler chapter, but it was needed as a setup! The next chapter will be QUITE interesting, let me assure you;) Any guesses on the place Lily's thinking of? I'm sure you all probably already know:) But please review - they keep me going!<strong>

**~PeachyKeen13**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Stag At The Zoo**

**Disclaimer: I - of course - do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters :( I mean, c'mon, if I did, then James and Lily would have never died! In fact, Voldemort would probably have NEVER existed - and I wouldn't make poor Neville so bad at everything:/**

**A/N: Hello! I know that this is a fast update, but I REALLY wanted to update this BAD! Oh, and to answer some questions...I'm just assuming for the plot that they don't have an owl with them, and that's why they didn't contact Dumbledore that way. And I kind of wanted to see the face-off of Snivelly and the Gryffindorks XD Okay, that's it! I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>If you had been standing on the corner of Spinner's End on the night of June 15, 1985, you would not have suspected anything out of the ordinary. You would have seen a dark, quiet street, lit only by two steadily dimming street lamps. You would have seen a street with ten houses on either side of it, mostly neglected and unoccupied. You would have felt a little chill fly up your spine, but you wouldn't be able to tell why. You would have just thought that there was a quiet wind you hadn't noticed. But really, you won't admit to yourself that the place you're standing is just downright <em>creepy. <em>And you would have only been more afraid when you heard a steady _POP! _sound in the night.

Four figures appeared in the darkness. One was a werewolf, who was happy beyond all reason that this night was _not _a full moon. One was a little five-year old, who was happy beyond all reason to have his parents back in his life. This little boy was the holding the hand of an older man who looked just like him. The older man was happy beyond all reason to be with the people he loved most.

The fourth person was the only woman in the group. She was tall, with glowing red hair. This woman was happy to be with her husband and son, but she was more nervous than anything. She had just Apparated them to her childhood neighborhood, in front of the home of her ex-best friend, and her husband's worst enemy.

The woman - Lily - doubted whether or not her old friend would even _be _where he used to live. He hadn't made a secret out of the fact that he despised his home life. Lily was sure Severus would have escaped Spinner's End the moment he graduated Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But Lily didn't know where else Severus could be, so this was their best bet.

_He could be dead, _Lily thought, cringing. Even though there was still a faint sting in her heart as to how Severus had practically ruined his life, she couldn't help but feel sad at the very real possibility of his death. _Or he might still be loyal to...Voldemort. He might even be in Azkaban._

"Lils," said the woman's husband, James. His voice sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet night of the street. "Where are we?"

"You don't want to know," muttered Lily, already regretting _ever _letting her family come.

"Well, we're already here, love." laughed James, running a hand through his untidy black hair. "It's a bit late to be worried about that."

"Mummy, where are we?" asked Lily's son - Harry - curiously. His sweet little voice was more than Lily could take, and she broke down.

"Alright, alright!" said Lily tensely. "We're at the home of...of an old _friend _of mine."

Being the smartest male in the group, the werewolf - Remus - caught onto where they were before James even had time to scratch his head. The lycanthrope burst out laughing.

"What?" asked James. "What's so funny?"

"You-did-not!" panted Remus, laughing at Lily. "And you brought _him_?"

"Well, did _you _have a better place in mind?" challenged Lily, raising her eyebrows.

"But-but _he'll _kill James before you even have time to say 'It's me!'" chortled Remus. "Blimey, it's a good thing we forgot Sirius!"

"We left Sirius?" asked James, as though he had just realized this fact. "Merlin, we did! Should I go back for him?"

Lily thought for a minute. On the one hand, having James gone for a few minutes could be a good thing. It would give her a chance to talk to Severus before James got in the way. On the other hand, though, having Sirius on Spinner's End would only make things fifty times worse.

"No," sighed Lily. "Don't worry about it, we won't be long. But I need you three to stay outside for five or ten minutes while I talk to him. You know, just to get the initial shock over with."

"Alright," muttered James. Then, he wrapped Lily in his arms and murmured, "Don't be long."

Lily forced herself to smile, and kiss her husband softly. "I won't be."

And then, Lily detatched herself from her three favorite people in the world, and walked to the house on the very end of the street. She walked briskly up the old wood steps, wincing at their loud creaking noises. Lily braced herself as she got to the door. She drew her cloak around her tightly, and put her hood up. Best if he _didn't _realize who she was at first.

Lily knocked twice on the door, and then backed away several paces. She waited for a minute. And then another. And three more. Just when she was starting to think that Severus had abandoned _his _home as had so many others, the front door gently opened...

"What do you want?" asked Severus Snape is a low, menacing drawl. "I'm rather busy."

"A-Are you Severus Snape?" asked Lily carefully. Best to make sure that this was him, though there was no doubt in _her _mind at this point.

"Who wants to know?" Snape asked dangerously, narrowing his eyes at the shadowy figure before him.

Lily sighed. His attitude _hadn't _improved, but at least he wasn't with the Death Eaters. "I need help," she said quietly. She looked back behind her on the street, where the others were barely visible. "May I come inside?" she asked, looking back up at Snape.

"Quickly." said Snape after a moment more of thought. Lily quietly entered his house, and let him shut the door behind her.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Snape asked coldly.

"If I remove my cloak," Lily began. "Do you promise not to attack me?"

"I shall try to resist the urge." Snape drawled.

Lily took a deep breath, and threw the hood of her cloak back. She risked a look at Snape, and was glad to see that at least _he _hadn't fainted.

"Hi Severus," said Lily quietly. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

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><p>"What is she <em>doing <em>in there? Battling a dragon?" asked James again. He'd already been pacing five minutes, and asking Remus for the time.

"She's only been in there five minutes, James." Remus said, a small, knowing smile on his face. "It could take a while."

"Do _you _know where we are, Moony?" asked James.

Remus shrugged. "Yeah."

James immedietly turned to his friend. "Well? Would you care to tell me?"

"No," laughed Remus. "Lily'll _kill _me if I say a single word."

"Remus, come on, it's not like I'm gonna _kill _anyone." muttered James, pausing to place a hand on his young son's shoulder.

"I wouldn't be so sure." said Remus. "It'd be worse with Padfoot here to egg you on, though."

"Merlin, it's like you thnk we're seeing _Snivelly _or something," laughed James, shaking his head at the impossiblilty of his statement.

To that, Remus remained quiet, and James seemed to notice the battered old mailbox that said _Snape _in peeling letters...

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><p>Immedietly, Snape retrieved his wand at Lily, and said in a menacing growl, "Who. Are. You?"<p>

"Lily, of course." said Lily, holding her hands in front of her. "And please, put you're wand away, Severus. I don't have mine."

"No. That's impossible. Lily's d-dead." Severus said certainly. What was the meaning of this?

"No, I _was _dead. James and me, we somehow-" but Lily was cut off by the sound of Severus's most deadly voice saying,

"_Potter_?"

"Severus, please! Just let me get this out! I didn't know where else to go, alright! I don't know where any of my old friends are, or if they're even _alive. _And it's not like I'm about to go knocking on Tuni's door, you _know _how she'd react! And at least we _were _close enough that I'd be able to prove to you that I am who I say I am! I just need some help and then I'll leave you alone for the rest of your life!" yelled Lily angrily. She hadn't meant to snap, but she was feeling particularly agitated with her old friend's frame of mind.

"You...you really _are _Lily, aren't you? I'd know that temper anywhere." said Snape, putting his wand away. "But _how?_"

"We're not sure," admitted Lily, feeling much less apprehensive without a wand pointed at her. "But we _are _back. And we weren't sure how to go about getting our lives back, you know? We wanted to see Dumbledore, but we had no clue where to go since we couldn't Apparate to Hogwarts, and-"

"Lily, relax!" said Snape, a rare smile coming onto his face. "You can Floo there from here. He's in his office, I was just there an hour ago."

"_You _were there?" Lily asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

But Snape never got a chance to answer Lily, because that's when James burst through the door.

"Oh, _Lily_!" growled James. "_Why _would you bring us _here? _He's a Death Eater! He'll kill you the first time you're back is turned! OI, Snivellus! You're _so _lucky Padfoot's not here! We'd blow you apa-"

"James!" shouted Lily. "What would you have had me do? Take us to Petunia's?"

"Better her than him!" said James. "Lils, I can't even belie-"

"He's letting us Floo to Dumbledore!" Lily tried. "He's just been to see him, he said that he's at Hogwa-"

"Why would you believe _anything _he has to say?" challenged James. "He could be delievering you straight to Voldemort!"

Though the married couple could not see, James's previous sentence caused Snape to flinch. He would _never _do that to Lily!

"Potter!" snarled Snape. "You're just as stuck up and brain-dead as you always were! _Think _for once!"

"Shut up, Snivelly!" James said. "You're just lucky I don't have my-"

"ENOUGH!" yelled Lily. "James, be grateful that Severus is letting us use his Floo network! And Severus, now is _not _the time for some stupid childhood grudge!"

Lily had yelled quite loudly, so loudly, in fact, that both men looked down at their feet.

"Sorry, Lily." they muttered.

Then, James glared up at Severus and said, "This isn't over."

"You'll wish it was." Snape snarled back.

Lily sighed, and ran out to get her son. The sooner they were out of Spinner's End, the better.

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><p><strong>Well, that was...interesting, lol:) I hope you liked! I'll DEFINITELY post more chapters for my other stories tonight:) Thank you for taking the time to read and please review! I hope you liked it, and sorry if some of the people were OOC...the feelings were rather difficult to write:P<strong>

**~PeachyKeen13**


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